Type-writer cabinet



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. HORROGKS. TYPE WRITER CABINET.

H No. 503,418. Patentd'Aug. 15, 1893.

mihesses: l V/LL/AM HORROCKS, S I" frzvantor;

2 Sheets- Sheet 2 S K G R R 0 H W M M 0 m TYPE WRITER CABINET.

No. 503,418. Patented Aug 15, 1893.

W/L L 1AM HORROC/IS,

f viinesaes:

gwqwwz Attys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I'IORROOKS, OF I-IERKIMER, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITER CABINET.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,418, dated August 15, 1893.

Application filed April 14, 1893. Serial No. 470,307. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HORROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Herkimer, in the county of I'Ierkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Type-lVriter Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to cabinets for type-Writers, and the invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the movable parts, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cab inet opened, with the type-writer or machine shown in position for use, in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section, of the same, showing the parts in the same position. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing the cabinet closed, and Fig. t is a top plan view of the movable base, for supporting and adjusting the machine, and showing the manner of mounting the same on the swinging shelf.

It is customary to so construct these cabinets that when the type writer is not in use the top of the cabinet will serve as a writing desk, and in order to move the type-writer into and out of position, to mount the same on a shelf that can be raised and lowered at will. The greatest diiiiculty with these cabinets as heretofore constructed has been to secure the necessary room or space for the knees of the operator below the swinging shelf when the latter is down, and the cab inet is being used as a desk, and in bringing the type-writer forward far enough to enable the operator to manipulate the machine without interference or obstruction by the sides of the cabinet which project above the shelf that supports the machine.

I-Ieretofore it has been customary to so arrange the swinging shelf that as it is raised it will be moved forward to bring the machine to the required position. This forward movement is however necessarily limited, and that in turn compels locating the front edge of the swinging shelf very near the front edge of the cabinet, and that in turn limits the knee space underneath when the shelf is down. The object of my invention is to obviate both these difiiculties.

In constructing my improved cabinet, I make the bodyA in the usual form as shown in Fig. 1, with a set of drawers on one or both sides of the central space, and then across this central space at the frontl secure a fixed shelf or cross bar a, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and to the rear edge of which I hinge the swinging shelf 0, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To this shelf at one or both ends, I secure a segmental rack g, which engages with a corresponding rack 71. which is pivoted at c to the side of the case, and has an arm or extension L, to the outer end of which the cover or lid B is secured by a screw or pivot 'i, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. At its outer end, this arm or lever L is widened, and this widened portion is provided with two inwardly projecting lipsfand f, they being arranged at the proper angles for the cover B to bear against themit resting against the lip f when the cover is raised as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and against the lip f when the cover is closed, as shown in Fig. 3. The lip f is not a necessity, but I prefer to use it as it serves to assist in supporting the cover when closed and thus relieves the screw or pivot 45 of the strain that would otherwise be thrown upon it. The cover B at its front has a strip 6 secured to it, of the proper width to fill the space between the cross bar a and the under side of the cover when the latter is closed, so as to bring its upper surface on a line with the top of the cabinet at each side, as shown in Fig. 3.

The shape and arrangement of the interlocking racks g h, and the lever L, are so proportioned, that when it is desired to elevate the type writer, it is only necessary to raise the front edge of cover B to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, when striking against the lip f of lever L, the connection between the cover and the lever is thereby rendered rigid for the time being, when of course the further movement of the cover will carry with it the end of lever L, which being rigidly connected to the rack it will move it also, and that engaging with the rack g which is secured to the shelf 0, will cause the latter with the machine to be thrown up to the horizontal position, while at the mo same time the cover B will assume a Vertical position as represented in Fig. 2, there "being a. pin or stop 79 to limit the movement of the parts and stop them when the shelf is at the proper position. v I have also shown a similar stop 0 for the rack g, butit is obvious that both of these steps maybe dispensed with by merelyraisingth eoross piece P asrepresented H in dotted lines Fig. 2or by puttingonindo-" eated whereshown, a strip or hljocks of the proper thickness so that the back edge of the cover may restthereon when the vertical position. I prefer however to use at least the stop b,so as to leave the cover free'to be moved without rubbing its back edge on the cross piece P. in moving it as isnecessary. On the under side of thecoverjB I secure a stripor projections i to engage under the rear edgeof theshelfO when raised, as shownin Fig.2. and thus assistin supporting the rear edge of:the shelflajslight movement: of the,

cover forward and backafterthe' parts have "been movedinto position serving to connect or "disconnect them.

, ,If desired,a springmay h c e up sain ttl e.rea shelf, one catch or fastening*"o-f" any I with acavityin it'stop inwhichasmallspnr l 0 or projection secured" to theshelf ,niay en gage. As however; when themaohine is raised and. moved forward as hereinafter ex-' *plaine'd, theweight of thecoVer; and'of the, lever L will fully counterbalance-the shelf and thecmachin there will bejlittleor no.

tendency of the shelf to. swing or drop down.

In this"connection lwonld remark, that the:

rear endof thelever L may be increasedin weightto any extentdesired by simplywidens tofore used in these cabinetsmoved forward to the required position after the shelf 0 has been raised,I provide asepa-.- rate basepieco Lwhich maybe a simplepiece 0 of wood or board of thepropersize, for the machineto rest on, and rawn on :the'shelf by light metallic clips land Z',*as shown in? Fig. 4, or by any equivalent means, such as slots and screws, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. i, the slots being out in the base piece I or in the shelf C as may be preferred. I prefer however, to use the metal clips, as shown; and to hold the base with the machine from accidental movement, I secure to one of the clips a spring 4', having curved ends which engage in notches m in the edge of the base plate, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, there being a series of these notches so that the machine may be adjusted at any point desired, forward or back.

. 11;, beingboth; simple air-deficient. By this.

. it rests upon or over the solid cross bar a, and

. shown, thereby'thro'wing the top of the shelf 'fthat much fartherihack, andcorrespondingly increasing thedepthfof this i space from the .front backward,theonlylimitin' thatrespect a e applied to press f he the"maohinewhenthe sh and,

may loe used ;or, the part ,tmay be lof metal flsprin When it-is desired toclosethecabinet it is onlynecessary tofirst shove the machinebaclc .4

= In order to enable the'type writeiwto be.

cross bar or shelf and provided with the Any equivalent means lnay be used for locking the base plate and machine in position, or they'may be dispensed with entirely, as the machine being secured to the base plate land the latter being held by the clips or equivalent means, willhavelittle or no tend {encyf to movewhen the )machine is being used, but I prefertouse thespriiigas shown,

arrangement, it willbesenthatafter the' shelf hasbeen raised to thehorizontal posi w .tion as in "Fig. 2, the machine maybe drawn forward as far as may be desired, and until I 7' 8o 7 may be made to project beyond the'frontof the cabi'netto amucli greater extentthan is possiblewith 'the swinging shelves heretoforensecl. x:

Thisarrangement ,alsoenabl'es me to make the knee space under the shelf ample, asthe i cross" bar idmay he inade miich wider than,

being that there shall he snifi 1ent-room' for. 's" "lowered and n. Incascthe i snot used to is closed orfshut;

or other fastening; b

hold;.fhe inachine in'pla'ce on theshelf 0, thenthe re should be. a stop '21 secured tothe,

shelfas. shown in Fig's 2 and3forthe end of cthe base plate to rest againstv when theshelf I is lowered,so a'sto prevent the machine from Y sliding down against the back ofthe cabinet. [Q0

on the shelf 0, then take hold of the topbf the lid 1B, give it a slightbackward movement to disconnect lilfl'OIDHlJhO shelf and draw it i 05 upward and, forward, whichfmovement by means of the lev l L and the racks 9 W111" I causethe shelf to swing downto the position vided'at one end with a segmental rackh arranged to engage withsai'd rack gmnd the lid B, pivoted to the opposite end of the levers L, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination in a type writer cabinet of a hinged shelf 0 arranged to have its rear edge swing upward, and a lid B arranged to swing downward in rear of said shelf, and having a projection 25 thereon arranged to ent 2 5 gage under the rear edge of the shelf and support it when raised, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination in a type-writer cabinet, of the swinging platform 0 hinged at its front edge to the cross bar a, and the sliding plate or base board I, with the metal clips land.

Z, said plate or base board being arranged to In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand slide forward and rest upon the fixed cross in the presence of two witnesses. bar, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with the platform G, the WILLIAM IIORROCKS. sliding plate or base board I provided with notches m, and the clip Z with the curved Witnesses: a spring 7' arranged to engage in said notches D. \VEBSTER STODDARD, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. CHAS. P, AVERY. 

